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ricin
[ rahy-sin, ris-in ]
/ ˈraɪ sɪn, ˈrɪs ɪn /
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noun Chemistry.
a white, poisonous, protein powder from the bean of the castor-oil plant.
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Origin of ricin
1895–1900; <New Latin Ricinus name of genus, Latin: castor-oil plant
Words nearby ricin
richt, Richter, Richter scale, Richthofen, richweed, ricin, ricinoleic, ricinoleic acid, ricinolein, ricinus oil, rick
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use ricin in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for ricin
ricin
/ (ˈraɪsɪn, ˈrɪs-) /
noun
biochem a highly toxic protein, a lectin, derived from castor-oil seeds: used in experimental cancer therapy
Word Origin for ricin
C19: from New Latin Ricinus genus name, from Latin: castor-oil plant
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for ricin
ricin
[ rī′sĭn, rĭs′ĭn ]
An extremely poisonous protein extracted from the castor bean. Ricin inhibits protein synthesis in cells, and is used as a biochemical reagent and in cancer research.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.